Letters to the editor, 3/17

Students' votes won't affect them

The reason, I believe, that New York voters are somewhat opposed to student voting is because of the large number of students who choose to go to school in New York state, then decide to live outside the state and even the country. Although I realize these students shop, live and contribute to the communities where their respective colleges are located, they do not always choose to live in those communities after they have graduated. Why should they vote on people and policies that will ultimately affect not their lives, but our own?

I agree with Rosemarie Zengen's Valley View, "Vote locally if you have a stake in town's future" (March 13). I am strongly opposed to voting poll sites being placed on college campuses. The students who truly want to be involved in the voting process will seek out local representatives and their platforms. Even if the students have to utilize public transportation, they will find their way, as most senior citizens do, to local voting polls. Colleges use a rehearsed approach, giving coffee and donuts to entice students to vote, and perhaps persuade them to vote one way or the other. That tactic doesn't pass the sniff test.

Brooke Fedigan

LaGrangeville

GOP strategy: Keep people from voting

A Poughkeepsie Journal editorial called for greater voter participation, citing "the abysmal, dangerously low" voter turnout ("Voting laws need big change," March 10). As citizens it is our responsibility to demand an accessible voting system, that the right to vote be upheld, and that our elections are fair.

Voting rights should be a non-partisan issue as it is critically important to our nation that we strengthen and expand voting rights. Unfortunately, preventing people from voting is a Republican political strategy, evidenced by adverse reaction to the Journal's editorial of the Republican election commissioners.

Desire to manipulate the electoral process was lampooned by Doonesbury's Mark Slackmeyer's interview with Jim "Honest Man" Andrews. Andrews reflected on Republican losses: "Is voter suppression enough to win future elections? Are gerrymandering, roll purges, ID laws, registration hurdles, disinformation, early voting cutbacks, unequal resources and caging lists really getting the job done? Clearly not. It's time to get serious and double down with state by state election rigging." Even though this appeared in the funnies, it's a sad but true commentary on electoral politics that happens even in Dutchess County.

We should allow voter registration on the day of an election, early voting, and if we eliminate some technical requirements for absentee and affidavit ballots, less time will be spent in the court house and more votes will be actually counted.

Gary Levine, Esq.

New York Democratic Lawyers Council, Dutchess chair

Poughkeepsie

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Letters to the editor, 3/17

The reason, I believe, that New York voters are somewhat opposed to student voting is because of the large number of students who choose to go to school in New York state, then decide to live outside

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